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Two Menlo-Atherton High School students brought a firearm to campus on Wednesday, the Atherton Police Department said.
At around 1 p.m. on March 11, a school staff member noticed two students put an item in an athletic locker while seemingly blocking the view of it, according to a press release from the police department.
After the students left, the staffer opened the locker and reported seeing a backpack containing a firearm, police said. The school resource officer (SRO), an Atherton Police officer who works at schools in the town, secured the firearm, police said.
After an investigation, the SRO identified two students, whose names have not been released, as being responsible for the gun. San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told this news organization that, as of Thursday, no charges have been filed in court against any students related to having a gun on campus and no students were in custody.
The department said the students may face charges including possession of a firearm on a school campus, a minor in possession of a handgun and possession of a firearm without a serial number.
“At this time in the investigation, we can report that there were no known threats made toward the M-A community or towards any individual in the community,” Menlo-Atherton Principal Karl Losekoot said in a statement to parents. “While both the school and Atherton PD continue to investigate all details of this incident, we have identified the students connected to this situation and are taking all appropriate and necessary actions as allowed by law.”
“At no time was the firearm brandished on campus, and there are no known threats to the campus community related to this incident,” the police department said in a statement. “Due to the vigilance of school staff and the quick response of the school resource officer, the firearm was safely secured and the situation was addressed quickly.”
The department also said the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information to contact police at 650-688-6500.
Losekoot told parents that the school did not go into lockdown since the firearm was immediately confiscated. He added that the school waited to inform the community to allow time to police investigate.
Losekoot also said that the school did not inform students of the incident but will “take a moment in the coming days to remind students that school safety is important.”
It is not the first time firearms have been found at Menlo-Atherton High School, located at 555 Middlefield Road in Atherton. Over the course of three weeks in 2022, two students were found with firearms on the school campus.
In September, a student was arrested for allegedly making “concerning” social media posts that caused Menlo-Atherton and several other local schools to go on a secure campus order, a step below lockdown.
“We remain committed to working closely with school staff and the community to maintain a safe learning environment for all students,” the department said in its public statement.
The Atherton Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.
This story was updated after Losekoot’s email to parents was shared.
